Featuring short films from well-known names like Clare Dunne, Mia Mullarkey, Emma Martin & Hugh O’Connor, the 2023 Dublin International Film Festival will showcase an impressive line-up of 25 shorts from Ireland and across the world.
Throughout the festival there will be five presentations of shorts, including a selection from Screen Ireland’s funding scheme recipients and the return of the Glasgow Film Festival highlights, joining three DIFF presentations, offering numerous opportunities to celebrate this unique artform.
Screen Ireland/Fís Éireann is again supporting Irish shorts this year with a curated programme from Screen Ireland’s Focus, Framework and Short Stories funding schemes.
Throughout this diverse and exciting mix of stories, the filmmakers take us on journeys of grief, love, terror and redemption… and ask us to decide on the guilt of a seemingly innocent rabbit.
Emma Scott, Head of Distribution and Short Film Production – Screen Ireland
The three DIFF shorts presentations feature a diverse and powerful selection of shorts from Ireland and around the world. Selected from over 750 submissions by programmers Aisha Bolaji and Mohamed Tarek, the programme exhibits some of the best of Irish film as well as internationally with works from China, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Lebanon, Norway, Iran and more.
The Irish highlights of the DIFF programme includes stellar directorial debuts with Conor Bradley’s student short Sons of Roisin, Derek Ugochukwu You’re Not Home and Tania Notaro’s Glitterbug. In addition, the programme includes Irish language film Bean Feasa Winner of ‘Best Irish Short Film’ at Foyle Film Festival 2022 and the Irish premiere of award-winning directing duo Nathan Fagan and Luke Daly’s Mud Queen starring Clare Dunne, as well as Dunne’s own short One Good Conversation.
Among the international highlights of the programme are the Chinese film Will You Look At Me by Shuli Huang winner of Queer Palm Award at Semaine de la Critique Cannes 2022, the Iranian film Deer by Hadi Babaeifar winner of Best Short Film at GENERATION — KPLUS at Berlinale 2022, and Warsha by Dania Bdeir winner of Best International Short Film: Fiction at Sundance Film Festival 2022.
Through fiction, documentary, animation and experimental works we are brought to an array of experiences that delve into the fantastical with films showcasing folktales and mythology as well as a look into contemporary issues concerning gender, the LGBTQ+ community, women’s rights and more. We explore themes such as coming-of-age, alienation, grief, family and acceptance through genres such as comedy, horror, drama and fantasy.
Aisha Bolaji and Mohamed Tarek, Short Film Programmers – DIFF
The short film format has always been a vital part of the festival, acting as both a showcase for future talent and as an exciting and dynamic art form. Help us celebrate the wealth and diversity on offer.
Gráinne Humphreys, Director – Dublin International Film Festival
Tickets now on sale at www.diff.ie
The 2023 Dublin International Film Festival will take place from 23rd February – 4th March 2023, and will be a multi-platform event, bringing the programme directly to the big screen and to audiences in their homes.
The Festival would like to acknowledge the continued support of their chief funder, the Arts Council.
PROGRAMME OF SHORTS AT DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2023
DIFF Shorts 1
Dolorosa – Emma Martin/Hugh O’Connor, Ireland
Will You Look At Me? – Shuli Huang, China
Baths – Nell Hensey, Ireland
Deer – Hadi Babaeifar, Iran
The Small Makings of a Storm – Avery Angle, Ireland
Everything At Once – Henrik Dyb Zwart, Norway
Bean Feasa – Daniel Butler, Ireland
One Good Conversation – Clare Dunne, Ireland
Wednesday’s Child – Laura O’Shea, Ireland
Sons of the Crezent – Brendan Canty, New Zealand
DIFF Shorts 2
Mud Queen – Nathan Fagan/Luke Daly, Ireland
You’re Not Home – Derek Ugochukwu, Ireland
On Xerxex’s Throne – Evi Kalogiropoulou, Greece
My Girlfriend – Kawthar Younis, Egypt
Cracks Will Come – Daniel Mateo Vallejo, Colombia
Sons of Roisin – Conor Bradley, Ireland
Blind Spot – Lotfi Achour, Tunisia
People of the Plaza – Paul Gleeson, Ireland
DIFF Shorts 3
Rosemay A.D. (After Dad) – Ethan Barrett, USA
Warsha – Dania Bdeir, France/Lebanon
Full Moon – Alexander Wilson-Flynn, Ireland
Tsutsué – Amartei Armar, France/Ghana
Glitterbug – Tania Notaro, Ireland
La Tumba – Natasha Waugh, Ireland
Far Calls – Olwen Fouere/Tristan Heanue, Ireland
Screen Ireland Shorts
Safe as Houses – Mia Mullarkey, Ireland
Regular Rabbit – Eoin Duffy, Ireland
Shadow – Janna Kemperman, Ireland
Bad Boy Buck – James Fitzgerald, Ireland
Red Rabbit – Rory Kerr, Ireland
Hermit – Sarah Benson, Ireland
Lamb – Sinéad O’Loughlin, Ireland